Little Pretty

Little Pretty is a toyline of kitties and puppies manufactured by Mattel from 1989-1991.[1][2][3] Little Pretty released seven sets of kitty and puppy figures - The Original Set, Polished Paws, Perfume Pets, Glitter 'N Grow, Picture Pets, Babies, and Show Offs. Playsets were also released with and without kitty figures. Each kitty and puppy is referred to as being female by their individual backcard stories and also have feminine sounding names. The toys have similar features to Hasbro's My Little Pony - pastel colors, brushable hair and tail, and a beauty mark (cutie marks) on the left hip. Unlike My Little Pony the heads of Little Pretties could rotate and were easily removed and reattached without damage. Figure molds date back to 1989 (date found on the bottom of the figures and on the back of the head near the neck) even though Little Pretty did not start appearing in dealer catalogs until 1990. 1990 and 1991 were the only years that Mattel included Little Pretty figures in catalogs. International, or European, versions exist but the difference lies in the packaging & names with the figures themselves looking pretty much the same.[4][5]

Welcome to the Little Pretty world! It's a loving, nurturing place where Little Pretty kitties and puppies have long, beautiful hair that girls love to comb and style! Some kitties and puppies have special beauty marks, and nails that polish up bright red. Others smell as sweet as can be. Some come in an ornament to hang on a Christmas tree! But the one thing they all share... none of these adorable kitties and puppies will have long to wait before loving little girls will collect them and give them all a happy home!

Kitties and Puppies (1st Set)

Mattel 1990 Little Pretty Catalog Spread (page 88 & 89)

Original Set in Mail Order Pamphlet

The first set of Little Pretty Kitties and Puppies came with 7" long hair and the kitties were later released as bonus pets for the Glitter 'N Grow set but with much shorter hair. The Puppies from this set were not re-released.

NEW! Adorable puppies and kitties who love to look pretty and need little girls to love and care for them. There are 6 colorful pets in all, 4 kitties and 2 puppies, and they all have extra long silky hair that can be styled in many different ways. Each pet comes in a pretty pastel color; has her own adorable pose, and has a charming story paragraph on her package about finding a special, caring friend to love. Little girls will want to collect and care for all of the vulnerable and pretty puppies and kitties in the Little Pretty world of loving pets. Pets also come with a pretty, removable ruffle for fashion play and a comb. Playground accessories not included. For ages 3 years and over. Peggable window box.

The Little Pretty Kitties & Puppies played all morning at Pretty Park Playground. Afterwards, they took turns combing and styling each other's long, silky hair. Each kitty and puppy comes with comb, ruffle, and hair ribbon.

Polished Paws Kitties and Puppies

Mattel 1990 Little Pretty Catalog Spread (page 90)

Polished Paws in Mail Order Pamphlet

Polished Paws was a set where the beauty mark and nail polish would appear or disappear with the application of cold or hot temperatures, usually with an ice cube or hot water. Hot temperatures make the marks disappear and cold temperatures make them appear.

Hint: Color changing features, or decals, could be worn off after frequent rubbing of application cloth. Placing figure in freezer or fridge (for cold temps) and using a hair dryer on low heat (for hot temps) could activate the color change without damaging the decals. Hot temperatures make the marks disappear and cold temperatures make them appear.

New! These Little Pretty pets get all "pawlished" up and ready to go! Lots of stylin' hairplay and a magical color change feature provide hours of loving care fun! Little girls use icy water to make Little Pretty paw "polish" and an oh-so-glamorous beauty mark appear. Warm water makes them both disappear! Individual poses and colors make these 4 cute kitties and 2 pretty puppies favorite collectibles to care for and love. Polished Paws pets come with applicator cloth, tie-on ruffle, 2 hair ribbons for puppies, one hair ribbon for kitties, and a comb. Playground accessories not included. For ages 3 years and over. Peggable window box.

The Polished Paws Kitties & Puppies dipped their paws into Pretty Pond. Like magic their nail polish appeared! Then with a wet love-pat, their beauty marks appeared, too! Use the cloth and icy water to make nail "polish" and beauty mark appear! (Warm water makes them disappear!) Also includes comb, ruffle and hair ribbon!

NEW! Mmmmmm, what are those pretty scents? Gardenia, carnation, lilac, lemon, rose, and jasmine! They're the Little Pretty Perfume Pets! These flower and citrus scented, miniature kitties and puppies each come in their own tinted, collectible perfume bottle, "purrfect" for play and display! 4 kitties and 2 puppies have individual scents, colors, and poses. Each also has long, silky hair, hair ribbons and a comb. Playground accessories not included. For ages 3 years and over. Peggable window box.

The Perfume Pets Kitties & Puppies filled Pretty Park full of sweet flower scents! Each kitty and puppy comes in a pretty perfume bottle with her own special flower scent! Includes comb and hair ribbon, too!

NEW! Now girls can smell as pretty as their Little Pretty Perfume pets! Carnation scented Pinkums and lilac scented Lila Perfume kitties come in their own collectible perfume bottle. Also included is a child-size bottle of real cologne, perfect for a Little Pretty loving girl to wear! Cologne bottle may vary from that shown. For ages 3 years and over. Peggable window box.

Glitter 'N Grow Kitties and Puppies

Mattel 1991 Little Pretty Catalog Spread (pages 84 & 85)

The Glitter 'N Grow set consisted of adult kitties and puppies whose hair would "grow" if pulled from either the tail or the large plastic bow(s) on the head. When the hair from the tail was pulled it would get longer and the hair from the bows would shorten and vise versa. They could be purchased individually or in a 2-pack with a bonus pet that was a re-release of a kitty from the 1st original set, but with shorter hair.

NEW! The world of Little Pretty pets is growing! There's more glitter and glamour, more hair play fun, and more lovable pets to win the hearts of little girls! The Glitter 'N Grow assortment features kitties and puppies with lovely long hair... or fancy long tails! Girls gently pull hair to make it "magically" grow! Luscious long hair makes styling easy and fun! Shimmer-shine bangs give a sparkly look to every pretty hairstyle! Two kitties and two puppies each include a comb and satiny ribbon. For ages 3 years and over. 11"H x 9"W x 2-1/2"D Blister card.

NEW! M-m-m-m! These perfume-scented kitties and puppies are picture-purr-fect for hairstyling fun! Each pet comes posed in a real picture frame... just right for decorating a little girl's dresser or nightstand! Assortment includes two kitties and two puppies, each with frame, hairstyling ribbon, and comb. For ages 3 years and over. 11"H x 7"W x 2"D Blister card.

NEW! Adorable baby pets with shimmer-shine bangs and lovely long hair to comb and style! Each comes with its own action accessory: a cradle that rocks, a buggy that rolls, a swing that swings, or a rocking horse that rocks! Pets also include a baby blanket, bonnet, and comb. For ages 3 years and over. 11"H x 9"W x 2-1/4"D Window box.

Show Offs

Mattel 1991 Little Pretty Catalog Spread (pages 88 & 89)

The Show Offs kitties had make-up (eye shadow, lipstick, and nail polish) that would appear or disappear with the application of cold or hot temperatures, usually with an ice cube or hot water. Hot temperatures make the marks disappear and cold temperatures make them appear. The tail would also color-change and could be stamped with their symbols with the help of a trophy that came with each pet. The trophy had to be chilled (or heated) for it to work.

Hint: Color changing features, or decals, could be worn off after frequent rubbing of application cloth. Placing figure in freezer or fridge (for cold temps) and using a hair dryer on low heat (for hot temps) could activate the color change without damaging the decals. Hot temperatures make the marks disappear and cold temperatures make them appear. It is also much easier to see the color change of the tail with this method.

NEW! They're the prettiest hits of the Kitty Kat Show! 3 ultra-glamorous kitties with the long flowing hair and 3 color-change features girls will love! Just like magic, girls "apply" colorful makeup, "polish" pretty paws, and change the colors of kitties' luxurious tails! All it takes is icy water! Kitties become so glamorous, they win a first prize trophy with a magical surprise feature. When girls touch trophy to an ice cube, they can stamp lots of pretty patterns on kitties' color-change tails! Includes trophy stamp, trophy stand, applicator cloth and comb. For ages 3 years and over. 10-1/2"H x 10-1/2"W x 2-1/2"D Window box.

Playsets with Pets

Three Playsets were released that each included one Little Pretty Kitty figure. While most figures came with names clearly marked on their packaging the figures from these playsets do not seem to be named or the names are unconfirmed (until packaging or some other evidence is found). None of the advertisements or catalogs list names for these kitties. In catalogs Baby Buggy & Beauty Mobile kitties are referred to as a "Little Pretty doll" or "character". The Perm 'N Play kitty is referred to as "a special kitty with "magical" curlable hair" or "Little Pretty pet". U.S. & International packaging for the Baby Buggy has been found and no name is listed on the packaging (the playset's name is Baby Buggy). Packaging for the Beauty Mobile and the Perm 'N Play has yet to be found.

The names listed here are the commonly accepted names that collectors associate with the figures.

Playsets without Pets

Mail Order (Paw Points)

Paw Points (U.S.)

Paw Points (U.S.)

Paw Points (International)

Little Pretty had a points system that could be used to purchase Mail Order items - Paw Points. [3] Paw Points could be found on the back of Little Pretty packaging. Points varied by product with the larger playsets being worth more points than the single figure boxes. Graphics for the Paw Points differed between the U.S. packaging and the International Packaging. The U.S. Paw Points included the text "PAW PTS." and the point was located in the middle of the paw silhouette whereas the International Paw Points instead read "Little Pretty" in the logo script and the point was located to the right of the paw silhouette. [5][4] The U.S. version also included the text "PROOF OF PURCHASE" somewhere next to the Paw Point square but the International versions do not seem to do this.

Note With the exception of the Baby Buggy Playset & most likely the Beauty Mobile all packaging has Paw Points. These two playsets were distributed differently than the rest of the toyline. See Arco 1990 Catalog.

Unreleased

These are Little Pretty toys that never made it into stores. The Fillies, Holiday Pets, and Mommy & Baby were included in Art Fair Dealer Catalogs and the Plushies were in the commercial but in the end Mattel decided to not produce them.

Commercials

An animation company founded by Barbara Cimity[9], called CimityArt, produced the Little Pretty commercial. Another individual, Caren - Terry (name according to the archived resume), was part of the team that worked on the commercial and listed the work as "CIMITY ART, Beverly Hills, CA - Mattel Toys, "Little Pretties"" on their work resume.[10][3]

Catalogs & Other Print Media

These catalogs would have been distributed at the American International Toy Fair (aka TOY FAIR). Toy Fair began in 1903 and is an annual toy industry trade show (not open to the general public) held in New York. These catalogs feature full page, full color listings of toys in attractive layouts. Descriptions and item numbers for ordering are usually shown but not all items end up being produced and many are often modified before inventory is sent to stores. [12]

For color modification examples see the Arco 1990 Catalog for the Baby Buggy and Beauty Mobile. For toys that were featured in catalogs but never saw the market see the Mattel 1990 Girls Toys Catalog for Mommy & Baby and Holiday Pets. Mattel 1991 Girls Toys shows the Fillies. Plushies were never featured in anything except the commercial.

Pre-Toy Fair Sell Sheets are usually sent in loose packets and are made to fit into 3-ring binders and as such have 3 holes on one side of each sheet. The Sell Sheets represent "current planning" which means that these are the toys Mattel planned to distribute to dealers but they reserved the right to change their toy designs if they felt it necessary. Images shown in these sheets sometimes made it into catalogs but were mostly used to gain dealer interest and often not used in any other advertising at all. "Addendum Sell Sheets" do exist for some years and are supplemental sell sheets that were released after the original Sell Sheet packets and the Toy Fair Catalogs.[13]

Little Pretty Kitties may look similar to the CurlyKittens from the Lady LovelyLocks toyline (trademarked by Those Characters From Cleveland & sold through Mattel) but they do not share the same figure molds as is often claimed. Mattel did not reuse CurlyKitten molds for their Little Pretties.[1]

Curly Kittens probably functioned as a heavy influence - Mattel designers may have taken the existing Curly Kittens concept and improved upon the entire design. The combs are also noticeably similar.